When testing a feature, you often repeat the same steps across multiple tests. Keeping those steps in sync becomes a maintenance burden whenever they need updating. Employing reusable tests in your Automated Testing allows users to have the same test steps in many places - reuse anywhere, update once.
When to use reusable tests
A reusable test is a good fit when both of these are true:
Common - the steps will be used in more than one tests (e.g., shared set-up steps)
Isolated - the steps can run on their own. They execute regardless of the initial screen, and don't depend on any information defined outside of the test.
Note: a reusable test cannot contain test cases, and any variables used in a reusable test are only accessible within that test.
Adding a reusable test to another test
You can either insert an existing test at the start of a test by clicking on 'Insert existing test':
Or you can insert a test in the middle of another test:
Then, select one or more tests to insert:
Note: only eligible tests appear here. A test that already contains other tests can be inserted, as long as the result stays within a chain of 4 tests. A test is hidden when inserting it would take the chain past 4, when it contains more than one test case, or when it already refers back to the test you're editing.
Updating reusable tests
Changing a step in a reusable test impacts all future runs of every test that uses it, so check the affected tests before making changes.
To see where a reusable test is used, click Usages at the top of the page:
Each entry lists a test that uses this reusable test, along with how many times it references it:
Because a reusable test can itself contain other tests, a change can reach further than the tests listed here. Follow the chain through each entry's own Usages before you change a shared step.